The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is no stranger to criticism, critiques, finger pointing and nasty comments when to comes to some of its annual management decisions.
However, as of late, DFO’s careful and cautious approach to the commercial cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador is starting to see results.
For the last few years, the groundfish fishery of Canada’s most eastern province is starting to take root as it emerges from the darkness of the moratorium. DFO has been consistent in its cod management measures — including conservative 2023 harvesting plans (CHP) for the 2J3KL cod stewardship fishery of 12,999 tonnes.
The other stakeholders in this revitalized commercial cod fishery, harvesters and processors, have also been more than patient as they recognize the need to allow the stock to build, recognizing that careful management now will mean a healthier fishery down the road.
So, is 2024 the year DFO will increase the commercial cod quota? There appears to be a very good possibility this might take place and it is about time for a small increase.
Last year, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW), the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), the Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC) and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador all called on DFO to raise the maximum 2J3KL harvest to 17,000 tonnes.
This quota increase is not only fair to those who have endured and kept this fishery going, but it is also sustainable.
However, another call for an increase to cod catches has recently emerged and unlike the heavily regulated commercial fishery, this one is basically a free-for-all. Of course, we are talking about Newfoundland and Labrador’s annual recreational food fishery.
Every few years, a group of these weekend warrior fishers get together and come up with a rationale as to why they should be allowed to jig as many fish as they like.
The 2024 protest incarnation involves the circulation of a petition, destined for Parliament, demanding the food fishery be open every day between July 1 and October 1. Currently, the fishery is only open for 39 days on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
Really? How much fish do they need for their frying pans? Where is the justification?
While fisheries scientists in the country have a growing collection of cod stock data taken from controlled surveys and the logbooks of commercial fishery, there is blank space on the page when it comes to the amount of fish taken each year by these budding, wannabe fishermen.
In a nutshell, science currently has little or no way of accurately tracking or predicting how much fish is coming out of the water during the current 39 days of this annual freezer-stogging event.
It is daunting enough to try and calculate the thousands of pounds of fish coming over the gunwales if every Tom, Dick, Harry and Harriett abided by the rules of 15 fish per boat, per day. But as everyone knows, the so-called recreational fishermen that quickly hook their 15 fish, toss them up on the wharf and turn and burn for another trip that day, are far from being in the minority.
This group argues that by extending the season, the fishery will be safer for those participating in 12-foot aluminum boats and help grow the tourism industry.
You do not need to have a Ph.D. in fisheries management to know this idea is not only fool-hardy but adds unnecessary risk and pressure on a commercial fishery that is just starting to see the light of day.
In response to this petition, commercial fish harvesters in the province are calling for stricter monitoring of the recreational cod fishery in the province and assert that unaccounted for removals in the recreational fishery could threaten the conservation integrity of the stock.
“To be very clear, our union is not in the business of stopping folks from putting food in their freezers — especially in today’s economy. What we have a problem with is the severe lack in monitoring and reporting of recreational removals,” explained Greg Pretty, FFAW-Unifor President.
The FFAW went on to say that recreational fishery removals are a significant source of uncertainty in DFO science and management and is blatantly contradictory to the Department’s mandate to monitor fish landings.
“In November 2023, the federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development slammed DFO for failing to collect timely and dependable data on how much fish is being caught. Seven years prior, another audit called for changes to ensure sustainable management of the industry. In response, the Department created the Fishery Monitoring Policy, which — accounting to November 2023 — has not yet been implemented. It is well past time to do the work to document how much fish is being caught and landed by the so-called recreational fishery.”
“Unless DFO has plans to exponentially increase its on-the-ground enforcement of the recreational cod fishery within the next couple months, it simply does not have the human resources to adequately keep up with monitoring needs. The department needs to commit to more stringent monitoring and enforcement of removals,” Pretty added.
DFO needs to ignore these outside distractions and concentrate on gathering and interpreting the most accurate scientific groundfish data possible — including formulating a better way to track cod taken during the recreational fishery.
This assessment gap has to be addressed before any reasonable commercial fishery can be entertained. Every commercial fisherman will tell you that as many impacts to cod stocks need to be brought to light before the recreational fishery is increased in any way. The glaring question mark of how many tonnes of fish end up in basement freezers each year should never be a deterrent to a return to a heathy commercial fishing. A solution has to be found to managing recreational cod — tripling the duration of the season is not it.
